# Where your council tax goes in Sandwell url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/sandwell/where-it-goes/ updated: 29 September 2026 licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources. publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) # Where your council tax goes in Sandwell Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). A Band D council tax bill in **Sandwell** is **£2,244.46** for 2026-27, split between Sandwell £1,878.29, Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase £36.48, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £244.50, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority £85.19. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is adult social care at Sandwell: **£744.18** of the bill. Council tax pays for 11% of the council's own spending; the rest is government grant, business rates and fees. Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## Key figures - £2,244.46Band D bill, 2026-27 As of 6 April 2026 - £1,878.29Goes to Sandwell itself (84%) As of 6 April 2026 - £744.18Largest line: adult social care As of 28 September 2026 - 11.2%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2024-25 As of 28 September 2026 Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## Who gets your bill Your council tax band A B C D E F G H Figures are for a **Band D** home. Bands A to H pay a fixed fraction of this, set in law. 1878.29 36.48 244.50 85.19 Sandwell 84%Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase 2%West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable 11%West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority 4% ## And where does that bit go? Choose any part of the bill to see how it divides, then keep going as far as the published returns allow. Every level has its own link you can share. ### Where the rest comes from **Council tax pays for 11.2%** of the money Sandwell had to spend in 2024-25. ******** - Council tax 11.2% £135.9m - Business rates 9.4% £114.1m - Government grants for specific services 43.6% £527.7m - Fees, charges and other income 35.8% £433.1m It also put £23.3m into its reserves that year. Council tax is pooled with the council's other money, not ring-fenced for any service. The split on this page shares your bill out in proportion to what each body spends; it does not say what any one pound paid for. - Your bill ### Your bill: £2,244.46 - [Sandwell](#d-council) £1,878.29 ** Your council · 83.7% of the bill - [Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) £36.48 ** Adult social care precept · 1.6% of the bill - [West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable](#d-police) £244.50 ** Police · 10.9% of the bill - [West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority](#d-fire) £85.19 ** Fire and rescue · 3.8% of the bill - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Sandwell ### Sandwell £1,878.29 of your bill goes to Sandwell. It is shared out below in proportion to how Sandwell spent its money in 2024-25, its latest published return. - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) £744.18 ** 39.6% of this part · £143.7m in 2024-25 · £407 per resident; similar councils £454 · down 34.3% on 2023-24 - [Children's social care](#d-council~childrens-social-care) £555.83 ** 29.6% of this part · £107.3m in 2024-25 · £304 per resident; similar councils £298 · up 23.9% on 2023-24 - [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment) £192.61 ** 10.3% of this part · £37.2m in 2024-25 · £105 per resident; similar councils £78 · up 7.7% on 2023-24 - [Running the council](#d-council~central) £113.86 ** 6.1% of this part · £22.0m in 2024-25 · £62 per resident; similar councils £56 · up 1.7% on 2023-24 - [Education](#d-council~education) £78.46 ** 4.2% of this part · £285.3m in 2024-25 · £808 per resident; similar councils £867 · down 9.6% on 2023-24 - [Planning and development](#d-council~planning-development) £71.69 ** 3.8% of this part · £13.8m in 2024-25 · £39 per resident; similar councils £29 · up 152.6% on 2023-24 - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure) £56.09 ** 3.0% of this part · £10.8m in 2024-25 · £31 per resident; similar councils £49 · down 38.5% on 2023-24 - [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport) £33.97 ** 1.8% of this part · £6.6m in 2024-25 · £19 per resident; similar councils £27 · down 54.9% on 2023-24 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing) £22.41 ** 1.2% of this part · £4.3m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £38 · down 33.7% on 2023-24 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing). - [Public health](#d-council~public-health) £9.19 ** 0.5% of this part · £29.9m in 2024-25 · £85 per resident; similar councils £90 · up 7.5% on 2023-24 Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£270.2m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£28.1m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it. **Which councils count as similar** Medians are across the 10 metropolitan borough councils closest in population: Wigan, Coventry, Wakefield, Dudley, Wirral, Doncaster, Newcastle, Bolton, Stockport, Salford. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Adult social care ### Adult social care £744.18 of your bill goes to adult social care at Sandwell. Here is how its £143.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - [Learning disability support](#d-council~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £246.45 ** 33.1% of this · £47.8m in 2024-25 · £136 per resident; similar councils £165 · up 2.4% on 2023-24 - Physical support £232.73 ** 31.3% of this · £45.2m in 2024-25 · £128 per resident; similar councils £132 · down 41.0% on 2023-24 - Support with memory and cognition £126.89 ** 17.1% of this · £24.6m in 2024-25 · £70 per resident; similar councils £22 · down 26.7% on 2023-24 - [Mental health support](#d-council~adult-social-care.mental-health) £70.07 ** 9.4% of this · £13.6m in 2024-25 · £39 per resident; similar councils £43 · down 41.5% on 2023-24 - Care assessment and safeguarding £25.37 ** 3.4% of this · £4.9m in 2024-25 · £14 per resident; similar councils £47 · down 59.7% on 2023-24 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £14.62 ** 2.0% of this · £2.8m in 2024-25 · £8.04 per resident; similar councils £5.15 · up 62.0% on 2023-24 - Assistive equipment and technology £11.07 ** 1.5% of this · £2.1m in 2024-25 · £6.09 per resident; similar councils £2.25 · down 61.1% on 2023-24 - [Sensory support](#d-council~adult-social-care.sensory) £9.42 ** 1.3% of this · £1.8m in 2024-25 · £5.18 per resident; similar councils £2.75 · up 6.3% on 2023-24 - Information and early intervention £7.55 ** 1.0% of this · £1.5m in 2024-25 · £4.15 per resident; similar councils £3.03 · down 80.1% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Learning disability support ### Learning disability support £246.45 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Sandwell. Here is how its £47.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £226.89 ** 92.1% of this · £44.0m in 2024-25 · £125 per resident; similar councils £153 · up 8.9% on 2023-24 - Aged 65 and over £19.56 ** 7.9% of this · £3.8m in 2024-25 · £11 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 39.7% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £70.07 of your bill goes to mental health support at Sandwell. Here is how its £13.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £39.42 ** 56.3% of this · £7.7m in 2024-25 · £22 per resident; similar councils £23 · down 51.3% on 2023-24 - Aged 65 and over £30.66 ** 43.8% of this · £6.0m in 2024-25 · £17 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 21.1% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £9.42 of your bill goes to sensory support at Sandwell. Here is how its £1.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £8.71 ** 92.5% of this · £1.7m in 2024-25 · £4.79 per resident; similar councils £1.30 · up 130.2% on 2023-24 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.71 ** 7.5% of this · £138k in 2024-25 · £0.39 per resident; similar councils £1.24 · down 86.0% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Children's social care ### Children's social care £555.83 of your bill goes to children's social care at Sandwell. Here is how its £107.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Other children's and families' services £524.41 ** 94.3% of this · £101.3m in 2024-25 · £287 per resident; similar councils £3.73 · up 25.3% on 2023-24 - Children's centres and early years £20.34 ** 3.7% of this · £3.9m in 2024-25 · £11 per resident; similar councils £11 · up 27.8% on 2023-24 - Family support £6.24 ** 1.1% of this · £1.2m in 2024-25 · £3.41 per resident; similar councils £33 · down 20.5% on 2023-24 - Services for young people £4.84 ** 0.9% of this · £935k in 2024-25 · £2.65 per resident; similar councils £5.27 · up 3363.0% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £192.61 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Sandwell. Here is how its £37.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Waste disposal £58.23 ** 30.2% of this · £11.4m in 2024-25 · £32 per resident; similar councils £20 · up 273.9% on 2023-24 - Recycling and waste minimisation £49.04 ** 25.5% of this · £9.6m in 2024-25 · £27 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 11.4% on 2023-24 - Street cleaning £31.99 ** 16.6% of this · £6.3m in 2024-25 · £18 per resident; similar councils £13 · down 6.1% on 2023-24 - Waste collection £28.61 ** 14.9% of this · £5.6m in 2024-25 · £16 per resident; similar councils £16 · down 17.4% on 2023-24 - Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £11.54 ** 6.0% of this · £2.3m in 2024-25 · £6.42 per resident; similar councils £6.18 · down 17.6% on 2023-24 - Community safety and CCTV £7.15 ** 3.7% of this · £1.4m in 2024-25 · £3.98 per resident; similar councils £5.08 · down 60.8% on 2023-24 - Trading standards £3.32 ** 1.7% of this · £651k in 2024-25 · £1.84 per resident; similar councils £1.15 · down 27.3% on 2023-24 - Other environmental services £1.01 ** 0.5% of this · £198k in 2024-25 · £0.56 per resident; similar councils £0.76 - Trade waste £0.94 ** 0.5% of this · £185k in 2024-25 · £0.52 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · no change on 2023-24 - Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £0.78 ** 0.4% of this · £154k in 2024-25 · £0.44 per resident; similar councils £0.33 · down 10.5% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Running the council ### Running the council £113.86 of your bill goes to running the council at Sandwell. Here is how its £22.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Other central services £47.66 ** 41.9% of this · £9.2m in 2024-25 · £26 per resident; similar councils £0.19 · up 61.5% on 2023-24 - Corporate and democratic core £29.50 ** 25.9% of this · £5.7m in 2024-25 · £16 per resident; similar councils £17 · up 12.3% on 2023-24 - Collecting council tax and business rates £15.61 ** 13.7% of this · £3.0m in 2024-25 · £8.54 per resident; similar councils £7.84 · down 29.5% on 2023-24 - Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £10.59 ** 9.3% of this · £2.0m in 2024-25 · £5.80 per resident; similar councils £3.90 · down 50.7% on 2023-24 - Elections and electoral registration £4.18 ** 3.7% of this · £807k in 2024-25 · £2.29 per resident; similar councils £2.31 · down 2.2% on 2023-24 - Coroners' and other courts £3.75 ** 3.3% of this · £725k in 2024-25 · £2.05 per resident; similar councils £2.81 · up 28.1% on 2023-24 - Registering births, deaths and marriages £1.38 ** 1.2% of this · £266k in 2024-25 · £0.75 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 63.9% on 2023-24 - Emergency planning £1.19 ** 1.0% of this · £229k in 2024-25 · £0.65 per resident; similar councils £0.54 · down 19.4% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Education ### Education £78.46 of your bill goes to education at Sandwell. Here is how its £285.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Primary schools £46.02 ** 58.7% of this · £167.3m in 2024-25 · £474 per resident; similar councils £374 · down 6.6% on 2023-24 - Secondary schools £11.16 ** 14.2% of this · £40.6m in 2024-25 · £115 per resident; similar councils £121 · down 30.8% on 2023-24 - Other education £8.62 ** 11.0% of this · £31.3m in 2024-25 · £89 per resident; similar councils £74 · up 15.9% on 2023-24 - Early years and nursery £7.22 ** 9.2% of this · £26.3m in 2024-25 · £74 per resident; similar councils £157 · up 10.6% on 2023-24 - Special schools and alternative provision £3.49 ** 4.5% of this · £12.7m in 2024-25 · £36 per resident; similar councils £134 · down 47.0% on 2023-24 - Post-16 £1.94 ** 2.5% of this · £7.1m in 2024-25 · £20 per resident; similar councils £28 · up 120.3% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Planning and development ### Planning and development £71.69 of your bill goes to planning and development at Sandwell. Here is how its £13.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Environmental initiatives £29.59 ** 41.3% of this · £5.8m in 2024-25 · £16 per resident; similar councils £0.05 - Planning policy £21.99 ** 30.7% of this · £4.3m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £3.19 · up 50.1% on 2023-24 - Economic development and business support £10.40 ** 14.5% of this · £2.0m in 2024-25 · £5.75 per resident; similar councils £18 - Community development £7.80 ** 10.9% of this · £1.5m in 2024-25 · £4.32 per resident; similar councils £4.95 · down 0.8% on 2023-24 - Building control £1.91 ** 2.7% of this · £374k in 2024-25 · £1.06 per resident; similar councils £0.74 · down 7.7% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £56.09 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Sandwell. Here is how its £10.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Sport and leisure £21.72 ** 38.7% of this · £4.2m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £8.80 · down 33.6% on 2023-24 - Libraries £13.00 ** 23.2% of this · £2.5m in 2024-25 · £7.11 per resident; similar councils £12 · down 35.8% on 2023-24 - Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £10.96 ** 19.5% of this · £2.1m in 2024-25 · £6.00 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 51.8% on 2023-24 - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £7.35 ** 13.1% of this · £1.4m in 2024-25 · £4.02 per resident; similar councils £7.36 · down 18.5% on 2023-24 - Community centres and public halls £3.02 ** 5.4% of this · £584k in 2024-25 · £1.65 per resident; similar councils £0.12 · down 53.5% on 2023-24 - Other culture and leisure £0.03 ** under 0.1% of this · £5k in 2024-25 · £0.01 per resident; similar councils £0.00 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Roads and transport ### Roads and transport £33.97 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Sandwell. Here is how its £6.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - [Road and bridge maintenance](#d-council~highways-transport.maintenance) £18.58 ** 54.7% of this · £4.2m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £13 · down 55.0% on 2023-24 - Street lighting (including energy) £14.68 ** 43.2% of this · £3.3m in 2024-25 · £9.46 per resident; similar councils £9.66 · down 30.9% on 2023-24 - Winter service (gritting) £0.71 ** 2.1% of this · £162k in 2024-25 · £0.46 per resident; similar councils £2.45 · down 6.9% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport) - Road and bridge maintenance ### Road and bridge maintenance £18.58 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Sandwell. Here is how its £4.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Environmental, safety and routine maintenance £18.25 ** 98.2% of this · £4.1m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £9.21 · down 34.5% on 2023-24 - Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges) £0.33 ** 1.8% of this · £76k in 2024-25 · £0.22 per resident; similar councils £4.79 · down 97.5% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £22.41 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Sandwell. Here is how its £4.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Private sector housing renewal £9.93 ** 44.3% of this · £2.3m in 2024-25 · £6.43 per resident; similar councils £0.07 · up 227000.0% on 2023-24 - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £5.45 ** 24.3% of this · £1.2m in 2024-25 · £3.53 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 51.5% on 2023-24 - Supporting People and welfare services £3.94 ** 17.6% of this · £902k in 2024-25 · £2.56 per resident; similar councils £2.82 · down 46.8% on 2023-24 - Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £2.61 ** 11.7% of this · £598k in 2024-25 · £1.69 per resident; similar councils £5.18 · down 73.3% on 2023-24 - Housing strategy, advice and enabling £0.47 ** 2.1% of this · £107k in 2024-25 · £0.30 per resident; similar councils £1.54 · up 723.1% on 2023-24 **Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account, from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into. Sandwell's Housing Revenue Account took in £147.0m and spent £143.9m in 2024-25. [What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence). - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell](#d-council) - Public health ### Public health £9.19 of your bill goes to public health at Sandwell. Here is how its £29.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Health visiting and children's 0-5 services £2.30 ** 25.1% of this · £7.5m in 2024-25 · £21 per resident; similar councils £20 · up 7.4% on 2023-24 - Other public health £1.74 ** 19.0% of this · £5.7m in 2024-25 · £16 per resident; similar councils £14 · up 13.6% on 2023-24 - Drug and alcohol services £1.35 ** 14.7% of this · £4.4m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £23 · up 18.7% on 2023-24 - Obesity and physical activity £1.22 ** 13.2% of this · £4.0m in 2024-25 · £11 per resident; similar councils £5.78 · up 51.5% on 2023-24 - Sexual health £0.91 ** 9.9% of this · £3.0m in 2024-25 · £8.43 per resident; similar councils £9.51 · up 11.2% on 2023-24 - Children's 5-19 programmes £0.66 ** 7.2% of this · £2.2m in 2024-25 · £6.10 per resident; similar councils £5.82 · down 41.8% on 2023-24 - NHS health checks and health protection £0.45 ** 4.9% of this · £1.5m in 2024-25 · £4.14 per resident; similar councils £4.78 · up 17.2% on 2023-24 - Stop smoking and tobacco control £0.31 ** 3.3% of this · £995k in 2024-25 · £2.82 per resident; similar councils £3.15 · down 24.6% on 2023-24 - Public mental health £0.25 ** 2.7% of this · £799k in 2024-25 · £2.26 per resident; similar councils £2.19 · up 38.0% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase ### Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase £36.48 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how Sandwell's adult social care spending of £143.7m divided in 2024-25. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above. - [Learning disability support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £12.08 ** 33.1% of this precept · £47.8m in 2024-25 · £136 per resident; similar councils £165 · up 2.4% on 2023-24 - Physical support £11.41 ** 31.3% of this precept · £45.2m in 2024-25 · £128 per resident; similar councils £132 · down 41.0% on 2023-24 - Support with memory and cognition £6.22 ** 17.1% of this precept · £24.6m in 2024-25 · £70 per resident; similar councils £22 · down 26.7% on 2023-24 - [Mental health support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health) £3.43 ** 9.4% of this precept · £13.6m in 2024-25 · £39 per resident; similar councils £43 · down 41.5% on 2023-24 - Care assessment and safeguarding £1.24 ** 3.4% of this precept · £4.9m in 2024-25 · £14 per resident; similar councils £47 · down 59.7% on 2023-24 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £0.72 ** 2.0% of this precept · £2.8m in 2024-25 · £8.04 per resident; similar councils £5.15 · up 62.0% on 2023-24 - Assistive equipment and technology £0.54 ** 1.5% of this precept · £2.1m in 2024-25 · £6.09 per resident; similar councils £2.25 · down 61.1% on 2023-24 - [Sensory support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.sensory) £0.46 ** 1.3% of this precept · £1.8m in 2024-25 · £5.18 per resident; similar councils £2.75 · up 6.3% on 2023-24 - Information and early intervention £0.37 ** 1.0% of this precept · £1.5m in 2024-25 · £4.15 per resident; similar councils £3.03 · down 80.1% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Learning disability support ### Learning disability support £12.08 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Sandwell. Here is how its £47.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £11.12 ** 92.1% of this · £44.0m in 2024-25 · £125 per resident; similar councils £153 · up 8.9% on 2023-24 - Aged 65 and over £0.96 ** 7.9% of this · £3.8m in 2024-25 · £11 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 39.7% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £3.43 of your bill goes to mental health support at Sandwell. Here is how its £13.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £1.93 ** 56.3% of this · £7.7m in 2024-25 · £22 per resident; similar councils £23 · down 51.3% on 2023-24 - Aged 65 and over £1.50 ** 43.8% of this · £6.0m in 2024-25 · £17 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 21.1% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £0.46 of your bill goes to sensory support at Sandwell. Here is how its £1.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £0.43 ** 92.5% of this · £1.7m in 2024-25 · £4.79 per resident; similar councils £1.30 · up 130.2% on 2023-24 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.03 ** 7.5% of this · £138k in 2024-25 · £0.39 per resident; similar councils £1.24 · down 86.0% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable ### West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £244.50 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable's adult social care spending of £937.6m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority ### West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority £85.19 of your bill goes to West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority. It is shared out below in proportion to how West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - [Fire and rescue](#d-fire~fire) £83.79 ** 98.4% of this part · £137.8m in 2025-26 · £46 per resident; similar councils £48 · up 5.8% on 2024-25 - Running the council £1.40 ** 1.6% of this part · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £0.76 per resident; similar councils £0.64 · down 14.0% on 2024-25 **Which councils count as similar** Medians are across the 10 fire and rescue authorities closest in population: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority, Kent Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Essex Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Devon and Somerset Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Lancashire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority, South Wales Fire Authority, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority](#d-fire) - Fire and rescue ### Fire and rescue £83.79 of your bill goes to fire and rescue at West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority. Here is how its £137.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Firefighting and rescue £73.15 ** 87.3% of this · £120.3m in 2025-26 · £40 per resident; similar councils £41 · up 6.1% on 2024-25 - Community fire safety £10.60 ** 12.6% of this · £17.4m in 2025-26 · £5.76 per resident; similar councils £4.91 · up 4.9% on 2024-25 - Fire emergency planning £0.04 ** under 0.1% of this · £65k in 2025-26 · £0.02 per resident; similar councils £0.15 · down 67.3% on 2024-25 ## Parks, street cleaning and roads here What Sandwell spent, net of income, on the lines readers ask about most. Roads and street cleaning are also shown per mile of road the council looks after, where it is the highway authority. Gully cleaning and verge cutting are inside routine maintenance; no return splits them out. | Line | Net spending | Per resident | Similar councils, per resident | Per mile of road | Change | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Parks and open spaces (including play areas)Details | £2.1m | £6.00 | £17 | — | down 51.8% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£6.00Similar councils, per resident£17Per mile of road—Changedown 51.8% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Street cleaningDetails | £6.3m | £18 | £13 | £12,071 (similar: £6,754) | down 6.1% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£18Similar councils, per resident£13Per mile of road£12,071 (similar: £6,754)Changedown 6.1% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £4.2m | £12 | £13 | £8,125 (similar: £6,109) | down 55.0% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£12Similar councils, per resident£13Per mile of road£8,125 (similar: £6,109)Changedown 55.0% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £4.1m | £12 | £9.21 | £7,979 (similar: £4,514) | down 34.5% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£12Similar councils, per resident£9.21Per mile of road£7,979 (similar: £4,514)Changedown 34.5% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £76k | £0.22 | £4.79 | £146 (similar: £1,904) | down 97.5% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£0.22Similar councils, per resident£4.79Per mile of road£146 (similar: £1,904)Changedown 97.5% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Winter service (gritting)Details | £162k | £0.46 | £2.45 | £312 (similar: £1,232) | down 6.9% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£0.46Similar councils, per resident£2.45Per mile of road£312 (similar: £1,232)Changedown 6.9% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Street lighting (including energy)Details | £3.3m | £9.46 | £9.66 | £6,417 (similar: £4,874) | down 30.9% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£9.46Similar councils, per resident£9.66Per mile of road£6,417 (similar: £4,874)Changedown 30.9% on 2023-24 | | | | | | Miles of road: Department for Transport road lengths, 2025; locally managed major roads and all minor roads. More on [what council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#local-environment). ## What it adds up to | Service | Per resident | Median | | --- | --- | --- | | EducationDetails | £808 | £872 | | Median£872 | | | | Adult social careDetails | £407 | £482 | | Median£482 | | | | Children's social careDetails | £304 | £340 | | Median£340 | | | | Environment and regulationDetails | £105 | £92 | | Median£92 | | | | Public healthDetails | £85 | £93 | | Median£93 | | | | Running the councilDetails | £62 | £59 | | Median£59 | | | | Planning and developmentDetails | £39 | £28 | | Median£28 | | | | Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £31 | £50 | | Median£50 | | | | Roads and transportDetails | £19 | £29 | | Median£29 | | | | Housing (not council homes)Details | £12 | £39 | | Median£39 | | | - Sandwell spent **27.3%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2024-25 (median for metropolitan borough councils: 34.4%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs. ## What this data does and doesn't show - These are each body's own figures, as reported to government in its revenue outturn return. Net spending is after the fees, charges and grants a service brings in. - Your bill is for 2026-27; it is shared out using the latest published return, which covers an earlier year. The mix of spending changes little from one year to the next, but it does change. - Council tax is not ring-fenced: this shows your bill in proportion to spending, not what your money bought. Where a precept is set aside for adult social care, it is shown against adult social care. - No council publishes spending at street or property level, so nothing here says what was spent near you. - Sub-service lines are the ones the national returns itemise. Councils describe their own budgets differently; their budget books and statements of accounts have more detail. ## Sources - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England: Table 10, local authority level data](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a02eeeccd2e0e8b5b20b449/Table_10_2026-27.ods), published 25 March 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv), published 28 September 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. How the split is worked out, and how the three nations' returns are matched to one list of services, is on the [methodology page](/methodology/#council-spending). The dataset is on the [data page](/data/#council-spending). See also [council tax in Sandwell](/council-tax/england/sandwell/) and [everything else about Sandwell](/your-area/sandwell/). ## Common questions What does council tax pay for in Sandwell? A Band D bill of £2,244.46 is split between Sandwell, Sandwell: adult social care precept, this year's increase, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority. In proportion to spending, the largest line is adult social care, £744.18.Is council tax ring-fenced for particular services? No. Council tax is pooled with grants, business rates and fees. The adult social care precept is the exception: councils raise it for adult social care. ## Sources for this page | Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 28 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Related pages - [Back to Sandwell: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/sandwell/) - [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/) - [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/) - [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/) ## More from this publisher - [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk) Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.